A month ago, a diagram of the just-announced Nissan Leaf EV appeared on the web. Unlike the Tesla S, the Nissan EV appears to be a fairly conventional front motor/front drive (FF) vehicle, with the battery pack in front of the rear axle. A shovel nose appearance, thanks to the small electric engine, results in a aerodynamically advantageous tiny frontal area. A degree of crush space is maintained for the pedestrian-cum-hood-ornament that will inevitably occur with the Leaf’s quiet powertrain. The distinctive snout, combined with some distinctive curves at the beltline and rear, give the Leaf a, ahem, unique visual identity. If Nissan was trying to create the Prius of EVs, they’ve succeeded. Now, if they had only stamped plant-like veins in the sheet metal . . .
Recharging times of the 24 kWh lithium battery pack are 8 hours at 220V, and 30 minutes with an unspecified high-voltage power source. Two power plugs are located in the nose under the Nissan logo, reminiscent of GM’s EV1, with max range estimated at 100 miles. The Leaf’s pack is mostly underfloor with room for three in the back seat. By comparison, the $40K-ish and 40-mile EV range-ish Chevrolet Volt has a smaller 16 kWh battery pack that that intrudes into the rear passenger compartment. The cost of the battery pack is not included in the Leaf’s price, which is rumored to be south of $30K but before the federal $7500 EV tax rebate. Although Renault/Nissan is in cahoots with Better Place, no announcement has been made as to whether the Leaf’s battery pack will be leased or swapped through BP. From factories in Japan as well as eventual production in Smyrna, TN, arrival is slated for the end of (yes, you guessed it correctly) 2010.
How the hell is the price of the battery pack not included? From what I see, though, it’s not any more strange looking than some of Nissan’s other vehicles, like the Murano for example. Really, it almost looks like it could be the next Versa. Not bad, and if it has a real world 100 mile range, it could find buyers.
An electric vehicle would be ideal for me, so I would definitely buy one. But seriously, $30k for a compact car with no battery? What is it made out of?
I’ve read elsewhere the battery pack might cost $10k, making it as uncompetitive as the Volt, in my opinion.
However, if the total price was under $30k, it would be compelling. Maybe. There still isn’t a payback until possibly 10 years out, when compared to a 30-mpg vehicle.
But they are getting closer to a consumer-friendly sweet spot, and I’d much rather have a single-fuel vehicle (Leaf/Prius) than a dual-fuel vehicle (Volt).
$30,000 Battery pack. Not a game changer. The price wasn’t included because this car is about PR. To the public, green image is more important than actually selling cars.
Nissan Leaf? Oh my Gosh… I needed a laugh this morning and that did the trick. What a horrid name.
I’d like the tires rotated on my ’10 Leaf. Too much.
Still not right at over 30k… maybe if it came in at the 25k mark, but not at over 30k with a possible 5k-10k in batteries.
Nissan LEAF ??? what the dickens is that for a name ?? or is it a crap translation of the japanese word for “whispering eco drive train” or some other such tosh like the Qazana was ??!!
or how about Nissan ZEMO (zero emmissions) ?!
Leaf, as in “turning over a new one.” It’s cerebral . . . think of the marketing possibilities! I think James May has some footage Nissan could use.
The leased battery doesn’t surprise me, and I predict you’ll be seeing a lot more of this.
It makes sense for a few reasons. The batteries are a “consumable” along with the electricity. They are also subject to substantial technology gains over the next few years of EV development and public roll-out. Separating this expense from the vehicle itself is smart, and could even benefit the consumer as long as there are sufficient standards in place to allow competition for the battery leasing.
Leaf, as in “turning over a new one.” It’s cerebral . . . think of the marketing possibilities! I think James May has some footage Nissan could use.
Leaf, as in “something to wipe with after taking a dump in the woods.” Not exactly cerebral, and oddly confusing given that the Leaf is supposed to be a zero emissions vehicle.
I’d buy it. Living on the cutting edge would be a change for me since I usually prefer to be about 10 years behind the technology curve where life is simpler. The 100 mile range is more than enough for all of my normal driving. If I have to go further I’d bum a ride, rent a car, or take my wife’s Odyssey.
Provided it has some semblance of driving dynamics (i.e. not a Prius) as an EV it should be very low maintenance and quiet running. My office would let me plug in.
I can’t decide if separating the cost of the battery from the cost of the car is a cynical put-on to keep the perceived cost down, or a smart way of making the part of the car most likely to be affected by technological progress able to be easily upgraded. Maybe both? Especially if battery packaging and interfaces can be standardized to let multiple manufacturers compete.
In either case, good for Nissan for being rational about designing a useful EV. The Leaf has a ridiculous name, but it looks larger and more like a “real” car than the Mitsubishi MiEV
Nothing about the tax money they took?
I like the name and the car.
You might like to search the web for a fun picture from BMW under: EVDrive BMW Project
TTAC doesn’t seem to allow copying of pictures to our posts.
I found the picture in a web site called: Eschew Obfuscation
I think you buy the car and lease the battery, which makes sense.
BDB, in defense of Nissan, if they took money from the US government, it was only done very recently.
This car’s receipe had been written, the bowl filled with ingredients, mixed, the oven turned on and it was nearly baked before the US tax monies ever showed up in the kitchen.
All the US taxpayer monies will do is make sure that Nissan manufactures US bound vehicles in the US instead of Japan (though not even this, initially).
I’m no defending taxpayer monies going to any car manufacturer, by the way.
I’m sick to death of “bail outs and hand outs” to say the least.
And yes, I’m very very seriously considering going to my local Toyota + Nissan dealer (where I’ve bought a new 2005 then new 2008 Prius) and asking if I can put some money down on one of these for delivery next year.
1/5th the running cost of a Prius? 1/10th the running cost of a “conventional” mid-sized car? I’m all over that! (Remember; exterior size is not necessarily an indicator of interior room; people are always astounded when they get into my Prius “wow, it’s big in here”. In fact, it is within 1″ in all dimensions, to the interior of the Ford Crown Vic “Panther” car).
I’m also royally p*ssed off about the E10 muck that has ruined the MPG’s of my Prius and want to eliminate much of my gasoline use. The imbeciles in gummint can’t foul up the 240volts double phase coming into my house…. (I hope)
bfg9k, driving dynamics? In a front-wheel-drive car with a rearwards-biased weight distribution? You set yourself up for a disappointment. In any case, for these cars to be commercially successful, driving dynamics are not the priority. Economy and appliance-like reliability will spell success.
The leased battery pack is a masterstroke. This has the potential to turn the electric car into a viable consumer product.
I have just one question:
Are all Leaf drivers and passengers going to have to wear those weird Spartan helmets, like the dummies in the diagram?
If so, it will at least make them easier to spot in public, unlike Prius owners. I keep getting these confused with others in hemp fabric clothing and Birkenstocks around here.
Case in point: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5oVzbwYWpg
Thank you.
From nissan’s web site:
Q: Will the price include the battery pack? Or will there be an option to rent/lease the battery pack?
A: Leasing vs. buying the battery isn’t ironed out yet. Looking at which options best meet our customers’ needs.
Forget MSRP guys. It’s all about TCO. As in, total cost of ownership. The purchasing price of an EV only matters when there is no financing available. But both manufacturers and electric utilities will have a good business case to offer financing.
If fuel prices go up, then a $40k EV can make lots of sense for commuters. Going electric, you could have phenomenally low fuel prices of around 4 bucks per hundred miles. Or even lower, if you used your own solar electricity. Do the math, and you’ll see it adds up quite quickly in places where gas is expensive, like in Europe.
@Martin Schwoerer:
I agree that the TCO is very important, but there is no case to be made for a $40k EV.
Nissan Versa hatchback: $13k new. Driven 10 years @ 25 mpg commuting @ 10k miles annually @ $2.50/gallon = $10k in fuel expense. TCO for car and fuel = $23k. It’s even less for the sedan.
The Nissan Leaf (same size car) could be operated for FREE and still not break even. No insurance or tax benefit will get you there. Breakeven comes when fuel costs $6.75/gallon for 10 years. And then you have to replace the battery pack. I’m not seeing it.
And consider… at over $6 a gallon, electricity costs will also rise. Even with a percentage of electricity generated by renewable sources, the current cost of that generation is dependent upon an oil infrastructure for maintenance. So the cost of those will have to be recalculated, too.
gslippy and niky, you guys are right, the economics of electric propulsion don’t look exceedingly good for the U.S. Even though people drive awfully much.
From my vantage point of course, I can’t disregard that gasoline currently costs around $7.20 per gallon here in Germany, that some utilities offer cut-rate prices for vehicular electricity, and that in addition everybody already has 220V or 230V in their household.
Great news
I do Not like the leasing Unless;
A) Other manufacturers can offer batteries(eventually). If 3 years after you buy the car a battery manufacturer comes up with a battery that is comparable in performance and reliability but costs 1600$ to buy completely instead of a leased 10,000$ battery and you can buy that instead that would be great. So battery manufactureers can compete and you get more choice, the same way you can choose the tires and arent bound to buy/lease “Nissan tires“, you can pay more for a performance tire, less for an economic model or choose one that is best suited for your climate(ex:snow&ice tires). Some people may be inclined to pay more, others might say I dont mind having a 120km range instead of 160km if I save more money. I think this issue, propriatery-anti-competition-bondage vs choice is important for the public to start being aware of and start demanding.
B) And provided you are NOT bound by long term contracts (otherwise point A is moot, you could buy any brand of tire for your car you want but have to lease the Nissan tires for 10 years first otherwise you have a 6000$ contract penalty)